Michigan

On April 3, 1933, Michigan voted to
repeal Prohibition—by a margin of almost 75%. That decision was
ratified one week later on the 10th. A number of
interesting stories come from Prohibition era Michigan.

Michigan had the honor of being
the first state in the Union to vote to repeal Prohibition.

Somewhat amusingly, a number of
Detroit bootleggers publicly declared that they would kill anyone
bringing poisonous liquor into the area, as they didn't want their
business to be hurt.

Prohibition laws in Michigan were
draconian. A newspaper article from 1927 described it as “safer to
kill and rob in Michigan than it is to peddle moonshine.”

Despite this strictness, Michigan
did not have a death penalty. The federal government, however, had
no qualms about putting two Michigan rum runners to death by firing
squad in 1929.

Sources:

RUM RUNNERS MAY FACE FEDERAL FIRING
SQUAD, Special to The New York Times. New York Times (1857-Current
file); Mar 26, 1929; ProQuest Historical Newspapers The New York
Times (1851 – 2004), pg. 2